Nokia N81 8GB iPhone challenger due in shops within days

Nokia's much-anticipated N81 8GB smartphone has started shipping and will be in stores imminently, Nokia announced today.

The Nokia N81 8GB, which packs in a similar amount of storage capacity as Apple's iPhone, is designed to be both a high-powered music and multimedia mobile, and a gaming-friendly phone for Nokia's newly revamped N-Gage platform.

The Nokia N81 8GB model is being released at the same the as the lower capacity straight N81 version. Both versions of the N81 are 3G HSDPA-enabled smartphones running on the Symbian S60 smartphone platform. The devices are the first to introduce Nokia's new 3D Multimedia Menu user interface that aims to make Nseries devices easier to use. Both models will be set up for fast access to the new Nokia Music Store downloadable music service.

The N81 and N81 8GB will come loaded with previews of N-Gage games, including demos of EA SPORTS FIFA 07, Asphalt 3: Street Rules and Space Impact Light. Other N-Gage titles will be available for download when the N-Gage service launches later this year. The N-Gage services - which will include a try-before-you-buy option - is expected to go live in November (see www.n-gage.com).

The Nokia N81 is expected to sell for €360 (£240) without airtime contract subsidy, while the Nokia N81 8GB will be priced at around €430 (£285) SIM-free.